Dynamite



UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIp EGBER'P JUDSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DY N A M l T E SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,626, dated. February 4, 1890.

Application filed June '7, 1889- Serial No. 313,494. (No specimensd combined with nitro-glyccrine.

I give the following illustrative example:

Itake about forty pounds of nitro-glycerine and mix. it with fifteen pounds of powdered cereal product, such as llour,'-eori imcal, barleyancal, &c., ground as fine as possible, (the finer the better.) I prefer to use barleymcal, since it is cheaper and possesses the necessary qualifications. With the paste thus formed I mix, say, forty to forty-five pounds of nitrate, either of soda, ammonia, potash, or other suitable gas-producing base. The grains or particles of the base become, after thorough mixing, thoroughly coated with the protecting-paste which contains the nitro-glycerine.

Prior to my invention carbon in the shape of coal, wood pulp, or otherwise has been used. The cereal or leguminous product in the protective paste takes the place of this carbon, and from its nature possesses many advantages over wood pulp or coal and obviates the many disadvantages found in their use.

As is well known, explosivecompounds in which carbon or wood pulp and nitrates and nitro-glyceriuo form the constituents are dangerous to handle, give 011 noxious apd e n deadly fumes when exploded, and are s\. ceptiblc to the variations in climate and to moisture in the atmosphere. 'lhenitratcs in such compounds freelyabsorb the water from the atmosphere through the pores of the carbon or wood pulp, and their usefulness and solidity are thereby destroyed.

I find that the cereal or leguminous product whichI use in the form of a paste to coat and protect the grains or particles of the nitrate is better and cheaper than coal or' wood pulp, because the latter needs to bc' kiln-dried and requires more expensive labor to prepare, while the meal does not, and is in itself more costly than the meal. It possesses the following advantages: My paste is not porous, and will not allow the nitro-glycerine to run out. It renders the nitrate powders non-delimieseentevcn in the case of the mostdeliquescent nitrate of ammonia. It takes or absorbs and holds the nitro-glycerine as a pasty mass. exploded there is no ash or similar residuum, and little or no noxious fumes are given off. The transportation of explosive compounds or powders thus coated is safer, since they will not explode easily with friction, and they will not burn rapidly. I have found that a small proportion of sulph'ur say five per cent. or more-can be used in the new explosive compound, such use being beneficial,

After the compound hasbeen because the sulphurous fumes tend to new tralize the nitrous fumes.

The explosive compound formed according to my invent-ion is heavy and compact, and the same amount of gas-producing material will occupy less space than in the. case of most other powders. This is an invaluable advantage in blasting, the.

I am aware that small proportions of flour meal and starch have previously been used with wood pulp, and other ingredients and with nitro-glycerinc for various purposes, but never to my knowledge in explosive compounds containing nitro-glycerine in pro portions large enough to make of themselves a practically protective coating and at the same time furnishing the necessary carbon for combustion.

I do not limit myself to any special mode of manufacture of my powder, the essential being only that the resulting product should be one having a gas-producing base coated and protected by a paste which will supply the necessary carbon and be formed of cereal or leguminous powder and nitroglycerine.-

llaving described my invention, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A protected powder consisting of a base of nitrate or equivalent gas-producing material, the grainsor p ai'ticlesof which are coated and protected by a past-Q, consisting of a. cereal or leguminous pivder combinecl coated and protected by? paste consisting of barley meal combined with nibrc-glycei'ine, 10.

substantially as described. c v EGBERT JUDSONQ Witnesses:

HENRY E. EVERDING, CHAsG. F. WAHLE, J 1-. 

